


Won’t You Dance, Little Star?

by scared_to_live



Series: MSA Dream Sequences [1]
Category: Mystery Skulls Animated
Genre: also fun fact: my glass cabinet in my kitchen fell a few months ago, everyone else is there but for like 2 seconds, i absolutely hate this version of Lewis that I wrote lmao, i wrote this instead of studying for exams, lewis is a big meanie :((, one day I’ll write something vivi-centric but today isn’t that day, the cabinet wasn’t glass it just held the glasses and mugs in it, the construction workers who built my house were absolute ass, there’s blood and stuff in chapter 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2019-01-10
Packaged: 2019-09-18 11:02:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16993803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scared_to_live/pseuds/scared_to_live
Summary: Just because Arthur didn’t remember what happened in the cave doesn’t mean his subconscious forgot.Or that the demon who possessed him was completely removed.Roots may stay in one place, but branches can spread as far as they please.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this was inspired by me listening to bird song by florence + the machine for like 2 hours while thinking of msa

The dreamscape was hell for poor Arthur Kingsman. 

Constantly plagued with nightmares of green and caves and bleeding stalagmites and a piercing pink flame of hatred that he can never remember at sunrise. Always to wake with a feeling of dread and frustration and sadness and sadness and sadness. 

Tonight would be no different, it seemed. 

Ahah. 

How fun. 

 

Arthur was walking down the cave, hand tracing a pattern on the wall he was following. 

Wasn’t there a rule where if you were lost to stick to the left wall? He couldn’t remember. 

What he did remember was that he wasn’t supposed to have a left arm anymore. Yet there it was, writing in the dust clinging to the damp rock. What was he writing?

S  
I  
N  
N  
E  
R  
:)

Um.

?

Who was the sinner? Was it him? He’s the only one here, who else could it be?

A cold fever passed through him and his knees buckled under his weight. The only reason he was still standing upright was because his arm was firmly planted in the wall that was swallowing him whole and he was drowning in stone and suffocating he couldn’t pull away and and and and

Oh. 

He wasn’t suffocating. Instead he was on the edge of a cliff he couldn’t remember for the life of him but was so familiar it hurt. The bottom of the drop was obscured with an ever-rising green fog. 

“Murderer~” a voice sang out, but Arthur couldn’t figure out from where it was sung. He spun in a circle, cautious of the cliff’s edge, green fog up to his feet. 

“You killed him! You were so lonely and hurt and you’re a _m u r d e r e r_ you filthy excuse of a man. You hear me? You killed!” The voice giggled, swimming in his head and all around and the fog was up to his thighs. 

He tried to swipe the green mist away but it latched onto his arm and crawled along and inside his skin and he could feel it sink into his cells like a cold slime and his skin was turning a sickly shade of-

Jagged teeth ripped his arm away, yet there was no blood and no pain, just the scarred stump he was growing familiar with. 

Now the voice was behind him and Arthur turned around to see himself but it wasn’t him, it was an imposter. It had to be, it wasn’t him! It was an imposter, he didn’t have green skin or sharp teeth or black eyes. 

The fog was all around him, and no matter where he turned it was there. 

“Oh Artie, you just want to be happy.” The imposter slunk up behind him, his arm was grabbed and pulled into the air like they were dancing in an older time as another arm was wrapped around his chest and holy fuck that hand had an eye. 

It blinked up to him.

“You just wanted to be with them because that’s all you knew.” They whispered, head leaning against his shoulder and suddenly their presence gone. 

“My poor little star, left behind again and again and again. Won’t you dance with me? Let me whisk you away from the pain.” They tempted, manifesting right before him again, bending forwards with their arm out into a bow. Arthur jumped back but just barely managed to stop himself from careening down into the unknown. 

“After all, what have you got left to go back to?” They looked up at him with a devilish smile upon their face. 

Behind them the green fog parted and three figures emerged. 

First was Lewis, but it wasn’t Lewis because Lewis had to be alive and this thing had a hole in its chest and its head was a skull. Even if it had the same hair and clothes as Lewis it couldn’t possibly be him. 

It pointed to him, hatred and anger apparent in his eyes. 

Next was Vivi but again it couldn’t have been real. Vivi was alive and she was fine but this one just seemed so dead and empty, like a void was building in it’s chest. It’s eyes were an unnatural shade of pink. 

It refused to look at him. 

And last was Mystery. But was Mystery a giant fox? He lived up to his name, but Arthur could recognize it so maybe it was the truth. The fox had its blood stained teeth bared and it’s tails were lashing out. 

It stared him down as if he were a meal. 

They all spoke at one, voices raising until they were all yelling and screaming in a cacophony of sound, condemning him until Arthur couldn’t take it anymore and he screamed until his lungs burst. 

“STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT I DIDN’T WANT TO KILL ANYONE IM NOT A MURDERER I DIDN’T DO ANYTHING I’M SORRY I’M SORRY I’M Sorry……… I’m sorry…… I’m sorry…” he sobbed, falling to his knees. 

The fog swallowed the figures back up until it was silent once again. 

“I didn’t mean to kill Lewis I didn’t want to I tried to warn him to get away why did I push him why couldn’t he hear me why didn’t I do better why am I a murderer I didn’t want this I’m a monster I’m a murderer murderer murderer I killed him he’s dead I’m a murderer-“ Arthur cried and cried and cried unable to do anything else, curling in on himself. 

A green hand gently cupped his face, making him look into the eyes of the demon that was his distorted mirror image. For a second Arthur believed they cared for him. 

“Don’t you see my little star? They all want you as dead as you wanted Lewis in the first place. They hate you.”

A cry escaped his throat unwillingly. 

“With me, you can find peace and love and be needed as much as you want to be. You just need to accept me, and it’ll all be yours.”

That sounded wonderful. 

To be loved. 

To find peace. 

To be needed. 

Mh.

…

Wait,

He never really wanted Lewis dead, did he? Lewis was his best friend! How could he want his own family dead?

“I-I can’t.”

The caring smile was pulled into a sneer. The hand that cradled his face pulled away just to slap him so hard that he fell to the stone cold floor beneath him. 

“I could give it to you all! I’m offering you everything you’ve ever wanted, and yet you still refuse? You ungrateful worm, I’ll bury you where you weep.” They growled, shoving a fist into his hair to pull him to the edge. 

The green fog below parted to show Arthur a gored mess of a body that would soon become his own. 

“Til’ the next night, little star. May you give my offer another thought. If you choose to accept, all your pain and suffering will end.”

And with that, Arthur was tossed over the cliff and the sharp stalagmites were closing in and he was going to die here in his own little personal hell and-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arthur woke up in bed with tears running down his face, a stabbing pain in his heart, and a void where the memory of his dream should’ve been.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow okay the arthur dream is a lot more popular than the other dreams aha
> 
> im not complaining but everyone’s obsessed with this yellow twink so much lmao
> 
> which is incredibly hypocritical of me to say because I’m also obsessed with this yellow twink
> 
> anyways
> 
> here’s some art I did of the last chapter
> 
> https://im-having-an-art-attack.tumblr.com/post/181234623380/after-all-what-have-you-got-left-to-go-back-to
> 
>  
> 
> ~~this is unbeta’d we die like men~~

Everything should’ve been fine now. 

Lewis was back, Vivi was regaining her memories, the weird tree bitch was now just a harmless flower somewhere where Mystery could keep an eye on it. 

It was the closest to normalcy Arthur would ever get again. 

Yet…

He almost wished he could go back to when Lewis was missing. At least then he didn’t have to live every damning moment of his life knowing that the ghost hated him for something that was out of his control. 

Sure, he was running himself thin trying to find Lewis at the time, but at least he had fun traveling around with Vivi and Mystery all over the place. 

The stars and quiet of the night sky on the desert highways didn’t wish him dead. 

Arthur didn’t blame Lewis at all for his anger, but he couldn’t find it in himself to be entirely guilty about the whole... ‘incident’ either. 

He didn’t purposely push Lewis down that cliff, he was possessed. 

None of the logic and reasoning went past that thick skull, though. Lewis was dead set on blaming Arthur for more than just his death, but for every little inconvenience and problem that happened to him or Vivi. 

Everything was now Arthur’s fault. 

It had gotten to the point where even Vivi and Mystery were subconsciously blaming him for all sorts of things. The coffee machine breaking down, a power outage, dirt and sand getting inside during a dust storm, burnt food, bills, almost anything that can be named was his fault. 

Arthur didn’t care about that anymore. It didn’t bother him as much as it did at first. He learned to roll with the punches eventually. It was much easier to take the blame and mutter a quick apology than to argue his innocence. 

There was another thing entirely that was plaguing his mind that required more attention other than his asshole of a former best friend. 

The nightmares he’s been having…

At first he couldn’t remember a damn thing about them after waking up, as is normal for dreams, just a fleeting glance of green and stone. They could be easily brushed aside, he didn’t have a clue what they were about so there was no reason to try and delve into the depths of his subconscious. 

After finding Lewis though, each morning he would wake up with a more vivid memory of the nightmares until he could recite them to himself. 

Some entity was promising peace to him, a chance to be happy and loved. Lewis, Vivi, and Mystery all ganging up on him until he was inevitably thrown down the cliff that Lewis died on. The entity smiling over his dying body while repeating their offer. 

Every. Single. Night. 

And they couldn’t be qualified as merely figments of his imagination anymore! The entity’s voice played through his head as he was awake too 

There was no escape from torment for poor Arthur Kingsmen. 

—

Today had been hell. 

The glass cabinet fell from the wall and Lewis got angry with him and he had-

He-

If Vivi hadn’t-

.  
.  
.

It hurt to think about. 

Arthur subconsciously grazed his fingers over the hand-shaped burns around his throat as he took in his surroundings. 

The same cave as it always had been, yet this time something seemed off. 

None of the ever present glowing green fog was around, leaving Arthur in the dark. And instead of being in the room of the cliff he was left standing in the mouth of the cave, back turned to whatever was held beyond the opening. 

Arthur stared into the blackness of the cave. 

Nothing stared back. 

Instead, a sharp intake of air sounded behind him. 

“Oh Star…” They sighed, placing their right hand over Arthur’s shoulder. 

“What has he done to you?”

Arthur didn’t care if the voice was full of fake care. This was the first time in months that someone has sounded so worried about him, that someone sounded like they wanted to make it all better. 

He immediately started to tear up, a sob coming loose from his damaged throat. 

Even if he wished to tell them everything, he couldn’t. His physical injuries carried over into his dreamscape. 

All he could do was make garbled cries as he turned to cling onto this mirror image of himself, burying his face by their shoulder.

“My poor little star,” they cooed, grasping onto his trembling form. “All you wanted was his acceptance and he nearly kills you for it.”

A heartbroken whine escaped his mouth as he clung onto them tighter. 

“Aren’t you tired of this mistreatment? Day and night you become his punching bag, only meant to take the blame for every simple mistake. Even the girl and her dog believe him, now more than ever. Don’t you see? Now they truly want you dead.”

Unlike previous nightmares, there came no illusions of angry ghosts and voided girls and hungry mythical foxes. Arthur didn’t need any persuasion, he already believed the words to be true. 

Any inkling of doubt he held before today had vanished with the coming of the burns and the cuts and the bruises and the pain. 

“My offer still stands, Star. I will give you peace and all that you want. Forget about Lewis and Vivi and Mystery, all you need is me.” They whispered, rubbing his back with their right hand as his sobs quieted. 

Meanwhile, the eye occupying their left hand watched on in glee. 

“My little star, it’s not to late to accept the dance.”

Arthur pulled back from the embrace, his tear stricken face looking absolutely devastated. He didn’t want to forget about his friends! Sure, they weren’t really acting like friends at the moment, and he’s really needed their support in the past few months that they refused to give, and today it’s escalated until-

No.

They were his friends, always there for him during his childhood. When he was scared and alone and had no one else, they were there for him. It was just a rough spot for everyone right now. 

The wounds on his throat began throbbing, his already mangled throat felt like it was tearing itself apart due to his wailing. 

Then again…

Wasn’t the past just the past?

People changed, and it seems that they all changed for the worst. 

Maybe it would be better for them if he did accept the offer. 

The green entity frowned at this train of thought, though the sincerity of it was unknown. They brought up their hands to wipe away the tears still running down Arthur’s face. 

“Don’t make this decision for them, my star. Don’t think of them any longer. Choose what’s best for yourself.”

It had been so long since Arthur had to think of what he wanted for himself. 

The tears came back in full force as Arthur—overwhelmed with all that was running though his head and the care coming from this demon—launched himself back at them, holding onto them as if they were his only tether to staying alive. 

At this point they might as well been. 

“I-I… accep-t…” Arthur struggled to croak out, the words sounding closer to an animal being crushed than a human voice. 

The green entity, face hidden from Arthur’s view, let a crazed smile split their face. After so long it just took one little accident to push all of them over the edge. 

And now the star was all _his_.

 

—

 

Vivi woke up the next morning, fully prepared to check in and see how Arthur was doing. 

What she wasn’t prepared for was Mystery running around the shared apartment while Lewis stood by looking more content than he ever had before. 

“Guys..?” She called out, voice still weak from sleep. 

Mystery stopped his frantic pacing quick enough to explain what had happened while they all slept. 

Arthur... 

_No!_

She burst into his room, thoughts running wild about how awful she was and how much gentler she should’ve been and-

His window was wide open, and looking down to the concrete a few stories below only solidified what she had been told. 

There was blood splattered and smeared on the sidewalk, bloody footprints leading to the empty parking space where the van was parked before. 

Vivi turned only to run right into Lewis’ chest, who captured her wailing frame in his arms. 

“What have we done, Lew? Why didn’t- why didn’t I do anything?!” She cried, unaware of the absolute glee Lewis felt. 

“Don’t worry about him, Vivi. You know that in a few days he’ll come crawling back to us, there’s no where else for him to go.” 

Vivi tried to protest but was quickly cut off before she could get a single word out. 

“I promise that I’ll look for him in a few days time. Just don’t try and do what he did for me. Look where that got him.” Lewis soothed into her ear as he picked her up and carried her out of the room. 

“Promise?” She whispered, afraid of what the future carried for Arthur. 

“I promise.” He lied, placing her down on her bed. “Now, go back to sleep, mi amor. We can figure this out when you’re more rested.” 

Vivi nodded, scrubbing at her face. 

Satisfied, Lewis exited the room. 

 

 

Arthur was never found.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;3cc
> 
> oof this is the first thing I wrote in like 3 weeks please let me know if it’s any good
> 
> also be sure to check out the Vivi and Mystery dream if you read this one!!

**Author's Note:**

> if people like this enough I’ll write dreams for vivi and mystery too :3c


End file.
